Barnhart brothers give Longmeadow pair of tennis aces

Brothers Chris and Jim Barnhart will be leading the Longmeadow High School boys tennis team this season
LONGMEADOW – There was a time when the Barnhart brothers – Chris and Jimmy – didn’t get along too well on the tennis court.
But that was a few years ago, and now the Longmeadow teenagers enjoy their tennis time together.
Plenty of success appears on the near horizon for the Longmeadow High School boys tennis team as well as the Lancers enter the 2010 season with the Barnharts at the top of the order.

When the Barnharts started playing in US Tennis Association events as doubles partners, those matches didn’t go too smoothly.

“A couple years ago we played and we didn’t get along that well,” Chris explained. “He’d miss a shot, or I would, and someone would say something. We’d have a little grudge.”

They still argue here and there, but for the most part, their playing time together is beneficial and fun for both Chris and Jimmy. They have a built-in playing partner and they take advantage of that situation, and in doing so they have turned themselves into exceptional players.

“We hit a lot during the week,” said Jimmy, who owns the No. 25 spot in the USTA-New England U16 rankings. “We do some drills and we’ll play some practice matches. And sometimes we play doubles together.”

In a fluky turn of events, Longmeadow now has a No. 1 and No. 1A. Chris was supposed to be in the team’s No. 1 slot a year ago, but an injury derailed his season until the postseason. Jimmy, though, stepped into the top spot as a freshman and went 18-2, losing only to St. Mary’s Mitch Dobek and Amherst Regional’s Alex Hirsch, who have both graduated.

“There was still a lot of pressure for James to perform as Longmeadow’s No. 1, and he did that very well,” Longmeadow coach Matt Wilson said. “When he was on the court, he took care of business.”

When Chris finally returned to the court, he, too, took care of business, going undefeated at No. 2 in the Western Massachusetts Division I tournament to help lift the Lancers to their 12th consecutive title.

“Chris is such a smart player,” Wilson said. “He has a great, silent confidence on the court. He reads his opponent very well and knows exactly what he needs to do in each situation.”

The lower-back injury Chris suffered in the 2009 preseason has completely healed, he’s knocked all of the rust off, and he’s ready to tackle his senior season most likely as the No. 1 player for the region’s top team.

“It was painful to watch everything, such as the individuals tournament and not being able to play on the USTA. My rank dropped,” said Chris, 17, who reached the individuals final as a sophomore, losing to teammate Matt Himmelsbach. “I’m excited to start off the season as a senior being 100 percent pain-free. It should be a fun time.”

Jimmy said he felt the pressure of being the team’s No. 1 player last year, and if his brother earns the top spot on the team, that’s fine with him.

“It’s not final yet, but he’ll probably play No. 1,” said Jimmy, 16, a sophomore. “It’s not a huge deal because it’s his senior year.”